


show me love

by MissLii



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, M/M, Minor Niall Horan/Liam Payne, Multi, Step-Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:12:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4757720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLii/pseuds/MissLii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Liam's doubly confused. Not only is he attracted to his weird stepbrother Harry, he's also attracted Harry's best friend, Louis, whom Liam has random urges to punch because he's so frustrating.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Or: Louis is not like Niall or Zayn. He’s not easy, not in any way. Harry met him at a football practice, brought him home the same day, both of them sweaty and with grass covered stains on their matching football shirts. </p><p>Harry’s an accident waiting to happen. He’s not used to his long limbs yet, tripping over his own feet as he walks even. What he did at a football practice, Liam still can’t understand. </p><p>Where he got the team’s football shirt, is still a mystery. He wasn’t on the team then, and he isn’t now either, almost a year later.</p><p>Louis is good, though. A real promise according to what Liam’s heard. Not that he’s tried to find out through Louis’ Facebook or anything. He wouldn’t do that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	show me love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [words_unravel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_unravel/gifts).



> As a pinch hitter, I didn't have time to write the 50 K version of this I think the prompt deserved. I hope that you'll like it anyway! 
> 
> Disclaimer: standard disclaimer. I don't own 1D, never have, never will be.  
> (Also, thanks to my cheerleader and my beta reader. As always, any remaining mistakes are my own.)

Liam’s ten when his dad leaves him and his mum. He’s heartbroken, but mostly because of how sad his mum is. She’s crying next to him, shoulders shaking as she tries to hold herself together.

  
  


It’s for his sake she even tries, Liam knows it even at his young age. His mum never wants him to see her unhappy. But she’s been for a long time already, he’s noticed even if she’s tried to hide it. The walls of the house are too thin for him not to have heard the arguments they’ve tried to keep from him. 

  
  


He’s much closer to his mum, but still he curls in on himself, burrowing his hands in his too big purple hoodie as he watches his dad drive away.

  
  


It’s not like his dad’s ever liked him all that much. Liam’s never managed to be what he wanted, always too interested in music. Something his dad thought wasn’t for boys. 

  
  


Liam doesn’t understand how that could be. He loves the time he’s not wrapped up in boring – hard to understand – homework when he’s allowed to sit down in front of the old piano and work his fingers over the keys. 

  
  


He’s getting better day by day, his voice clear and mostly on point as he sings along with the notes of the piano. It’s easy for him to get lost in those moments. He feels safe and happy, then. 

  
  


That he never really had any real friends, not anyone to bring home with him after school, it only made his dad think he was right about Liam. It was one of the things his parents had argued about the loudest about, in hushed whispers way past his bedtime. His mum had tried to make his dad stop saying it, but she never really managed. 

  
  


Maybe she managed a little, since he never said it to Liam after that first time, just after his ninth birthday party. Liam’s not thinking about that, it makes him sad, much like he right now. He’s not sure why nobody came, but he believes his mum when she says it’ll get better. 

  
  


His mum always tells him it’s not his fault the other kids are mean to him, that it’s not him being a certain way that makes them tease him. Or worse, pretend that he doesn’t exist at all. 

  
  


– – – 

  
  


They get on great without his dad, his mum getting happier the longer time he’s not in the house. It’s like she starts living again, reminding him of how she was when he was much younger. 

  
  


When Liam’s thirteen Liam’s mum meets someone new, someone really nice. Maybe she’s dated before, Liam’s got no clue since he’s been busy with school and trying to keep up with his classes. Math and grammar are not easy for him; it doesn’t come to him naturally like music does. 

  
  


It’s not like he’s cared about what his mum does when she’s not with him, not really. He just wants his mum to be happy. It’s been the two of them, taking care of each other since the day his dad left. 

  
  


Liam thinks it’s worked very well. He’s done his share of housework, trying to take some of the burden off his mum’s shoulders. 

  
  


Now it’s different, though. Now there’s a new man in their house, with a son that’s almost the same age as Liam. He’s just one year younger, but Liam doesn’t think anyone would notice the small difference in their age. Not when Harry’s as tall as he is already. 

  
  


Harry’s smile is much bigger than the fake one Liam’s wearing, when he takes in everything around him. He seems really excited to be there, and it makes Liam think he’s weird at once. He would hate to be in someone’s house, not knowing what to expect of anything. 

  
  


Liam just stands there with his hands in his pockets and stares at the floor, letting his eyes slip up every now and again. Every time, he finds himself staring at Harry, the bright green backpack by his feet and his purple sneakers.

  
  


Liam can’t quite understand why they must live in his house, the place he’s lived in since he was a toddler. It’s his space, not some kid –  _ Harry  _ his brain corrects, he feels rude not wanting to even think about his name. 

  
  


It’s too real. All of it too sudden. 

  
  


Liam’s got friends now. Not many, but still enough to make him feel better about going to school. 

  
  


For a short moment, he convinces himself that Harry will steal his friends, make them into his new best friends. Harry does seem awfully friendly, everything about him so easy. Then he’ll probably steal Liam’s mum, she seems charmed by him, smiling brightly at him as he talks. 

  
  


But it doesn’t seem quite right, so he shakes that thought off, smiling at Harry when he does a – very odd – wave with one hand. It’s weird mostly because they’ve already said hello. Harry even shook his hand, so he couldn’t have missed it. 

  
  


Liam’s starting to get convinced that his new stepbrother might be a tiny bit strange. 

  
  


Later, when Liam shows Harry his new room, he finds that he doesn’t mind if Harry’s not like anyone he’s met before. Harry makes him laugh, telling him awful jokes that're too long and rambling, seemingly without a real punch-line. 

  
  


The easiness of how Harry fits into their home, it makes Liam wonder if he might have found his first real friend. He’s not dumb enough to take anything for granted; he knows that Harry’s got no obligation to like him, just because they’re stepbrothers. 

  
  


It feels like he might anyway. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


Harry doesn’t take Liam’s friends like he first thought Harry would. Even then, Liam stopped spending time with them.

  
  


Having Harry as his friend, made him realise what a real friend should be like.  

  
  


But Liam was right about Harry having an easy time to get people to like him. A year after he moved in with Liam and his mum, he’s brought home so many new friends that Liam lost count of them all. So far not not one of them has stayed close with Harry for a long time, but Liam thinks that’s more on him than on Harry. 

  
  


Some of them have been plain weird, but Harry’s pretty weird too, so that’s not surprising. 

  
  


“So,” Harry asks, closing the door behind one of his new friends. “Did you like him?” He sounds like he already knows the answer, the small frown on his face noticeable in his voice. 

  
  


Liam shrugs, shuffling his feet as he tries to think of one  _ good  _ reason to say no. He knows many that he’d never say out loud, the biggest reason being that he wants Harry to keep being his best friend. That’s not good enough to say to Harry, though. It seems selfish and unfair even in his head. 

  
  


“I don’t know,” he says, trying to avoid answering.

  
  


Harry’s frown deepens, his wild curls bouncing as he shakes his head. “Tell me, please. I really want to know.”

  
  


“Fine,” Liam sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. “I didn’t like him. He was weird.”

  
  


Harry laughs, clapping his hand together like Liam just said the funniest thing. It makes Liam feel even worse about what he just did. He should let Harry find other friends, but no matter how bad he feels, he’s not able to stop making Harry push them away. 

  
  


“You always say that,” Harry teases him, still smiling. 

  
  


Just as always, Harry never brings his new mate back home. Liam would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad that he wouldn’t have to compete with some random kid about Harry’s attention.

  
  


Maybe even lose his because of it. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


It’s not until Niall, an Irish kid that’s new in Liam’s class, that Liam’s okay with someone spending time at their house. Niall’s so friendly and open with his laughter that Liam finds himself instantly charmed. 

  
  


That Niall seems to be interested in getting to know him, not only Harry, makes it all better. Usually, they’re only there for Harry, who’s popular with both boys and girls at school. Not that Liam’s totally sure how that happened considering how Harry tends to laugh a little bit too loud and stumble over his own feet. 

  
  


It might have something to do with his lovely green eyes and the cheeky flirtiness he uses on everybody he meets. Liam’s not blind, he’s noticed, along with the rest of the school. 

  
  


Around Niall, he forgets about being shy and awkward. It’s nice to hang out with him even when Harry isn’t there. The first time that happened, Liam had been confused, wondering if he was being played, but he still let Niall in. They ended up having a video games tournament, one that lasted long after Harry came home. 

  
  


This time it’s just him and Niall, and Liam’s been babbling on about music since Niall first arrived. 

  
  


“Like,” he says, holding his guitar up to show Niall. “I’d planned to play on this, but I dropped it, and it cracked.” 

  
  


“It’s in the genes, it seems.” Niall grins, making Liam scrunch his face up in confusion. “With you being Harry’s brother, I mean,” he clarifies, shrugging like it should be obvious. 

  
  


Liam laughs, so loudly that he wonders if he’s spent too much time with Harry. That only makes him laugh even harder.

  
  


“What did I say?” Niall asks, sounding confused. Even when he doesn’t know why Liam’s almost crying with laughter, he starts to giggle too, holding a hand over his stomach as he tries to stop.

  
  


When he’s managed to calm down, Liam wipes away the tears from his eyes. “Harry’s not my  _ real  _ brother.”

  
  


“But you look so alike.” Niall does a floppy hand gesture, probably meant to be pointed at either his face or hair. “With the curls and everything.”

  
  


Liam starts flattening his hair only a few days later. He even cuts his hair shorter to make sure that that he doesn’t look anything like Harry. For some reason, it irks him that Niall said that. 

  
  


He’s not sure why, though. It just makes him feel wrong somehow.

  
  


– – –

  
  


There’s a dark haired boy sitting at his spot in the library, reading a book that’s thicker than anything Liam’s ever read. Liam realises it just before he’s about to sit down, but as soon as he notices he stops, stalling for a moment as he tries to figure out what to do. 

  
  


The boy is wearing glasses and a t-shirt with Batman on, and he’s blinking at Liam like he’s equally confused about Liam being there. 

  
  


“Hey,” he says, feeling awkward. If he only had been more awake as he walked over there. Then he would have noticed earlier and could have at least have pretended to be on the way to the shelf behind the boy. 

  
  


Now he’s in some sort of quiet battle about who can wait the longest to say something. 

  
  


“You want to sit down?” The boy asks, lifting away the backpack that’s on the chair next to him. 

  
  


“My name is Liam,” he offers as he sits down, careful not to bump his chair into this friendly boy whose name he doesn’t know. “You?”

  
  


“Nice to meet you, Liam,” the boy drags his name out, long and soft on the vowels. Liam’s never heard it said like that before, but he quite likes it anyway. “I’m Zayn.”

  
  


He’s there to study, he likes to tell himself. But he only lasts about three pages in his math book, then he grows bored and restless.

  
  


“You know,” Zayn says, startling Liam from his thoughts about the funny thing Harry told him about his math teacher that morning. “I’ve a sick comic in my bag, if you would like to read?”

  
  


“Yeah,” Liam breathes out, both happy that Zayn is awesome enough to carry comics with him and that he’s got a reason to take a break. 

  
  


Zayn’s the first friend he makes on his own after meeting Harry, the two of them bonding over comics at the library for weeks before he brings him home to Harry. He’s a bit nervous about it, not sure what to do if Harry doesn’t like Zayn.

  
  


Luckily, he’d no reason to worry. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


He shouldn’t be at the party, being fifteen years old. It’s not really his crowd. He doesn’t know Nick, whose parents own the house they’re in. But Nick seems like a good person, and for once Liam doesn’t feel the need to intervene and make sure that Harry’s new friend doesn’t stick in Harry’s life.

  
  


Harry’s not only got him now, but he's also got Niall and Zayn. He’s used to sharing Harry with people, even if rather didn’t share him with just anyone. It’s not that Liam doesn’t want Harry to be happy, he just  _ so  _ scared to lose him. 

  
  


That would be so horrible, he can hardly breathe while thinking about it. 

  
  


It’s Harry’s charm – weird as it is – that is the reason they are where they are. It’s not the first time they’re at the place Liam least expected them to be. 

  
  


Liam would never have guessed that he’d spend a Friday night in a closet with Niall at a party that a bloke three years his senior threw. 

  
  


The reason they’re in the closet is that Niall got slightly overwhelmed. With so many people pressed together in the small house, the air hot and humid, he started to loose some of that pink blush on his cheeks. 

  
  


“Don’t tell Harry about this,” Niall giggles, slightly drunk from the beer he stole from the fridge. He seems to be a lot better, but Liam worries for a moment as he stumbles closer to him, patting his cheek with a clumsy hand as if he’s trying to find something. 

  
  


“What?” Liam wonders, getting cut off as Niall’s lips collide with his own. 

  
  


It’s not a great kiss, their teeth clacking together painfully at first, but he couldn’t care less. It’s Liam’s first kiss and the sweetness of the kiss makes his heart speed up his chest. He’s trying to figure out where to put his hands, not sure if it’s a good idea to touch Niall at all. 

  
  


Not even when it was Niall who started it all.

  
  


It gets better and also a lot wetter, with Niall’s tongue licking along the seam of his lips twice before Liam catches on and opens up. 

  
  


When they stop kissing, both of them are pink on their cheeks, mouths feeling plushy and weird. They just stand there and stare at each other in the dim light for a long time, both of them grinning stupidly. 

  
  


“Maybe we shouldn’t tell Harry?” Liam asks, running a hair through his flattened hair. He thinks Niall might have ruffled it up; he did use his hands to change the angle, pulling him down so he could snog Liam more thoroughly.

  
  


Niall looks at him for a long moment and doesn’t say anything. The glint in his eyes makes Liam slightly nervous, he seems so much more aware, like he knows something that Liam doesn’t. 

  
  


“Might be a good idea, yeah,” Niall agrees 

  
  


When they leave, they bump into Zayn, who’s wobbling slightly as he walks. “Hey,” he shouts, putting a hand over his mouth as he realises how loud he just was. Liam can see him shushing himself, and he smiles fondly over how stupid and new they all are to all of this, the partying and stuff.

  
  


It’s not like anybody cares that they’re loud. Everybody’s loud.

  
  


Liam’s about to ask Zayn to maybe not tell Harry that he saw Liam leave the room with Niall, obviously having been kissed for a long time, with his lips swollen and pink. Then Harry comes up to Zayn, leaning against his side as if he’s trying to hold himself up. But they’re mostly grabbing at each other, almost managing to drag each other to the ground instead of helping each other out. 

  
  


It’s a funny sight. One that makes Liam forgets about what he was about to say.

  
  


“ Niall and Liam  _ snogged _ ,” Zayn says, sounding delighted by being able to tell anyone. He sounds so happy about it that Liam can’t even be upset.

  
  


“ Hey,” Harry mumbles, his voice slightly slurred from alcohol. That he’s even had something to drink makes Liam want to take him home and tuck him into bed at once, but he stops in the middle of a step when Harry adds, “That’s  _ unfair _ .”

  
  


For some reason, his chest feels tighter. He didn’t think Harry liked Niall that way. Or that he liked boys at all. 

  
  


He’s still thinking about it when he leads Harry home a little bit later, wondering how he could have missed such a thing. He feels slightly bad about making out with someone that Harry had a crush on, too. Even when he didn’t know. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


The next day Liam finds Harry in the kitchen, resting his head on the counter in the kitchen. It seems like he came in there to eat something since the fridge is open, but stopped in the middle of trying to figure out what to eat, and just flopped down on the closest flat surface.

  
  


Liam feels both fond and frustrated that Harry would make himself feel so bad. He doesn’t like it when Harry’s ill, even more than he hates being sick himself. 

  
  


“So,” he says, careful to keep his voice soft. “You like Niall then?”

  
  


Harry’s head pops up from the counter.  “ _ What _ ?” He sounds confused, but Liam can’t see what he does with his face since he’s hiding it behind his hands, probably trying to block out the light. 

  
  


Liam takes a long time answering, taking his time putting on the kettle. “Yeah. You seemed a bit upset about it last night."

  
  


“ No,  _ no _ ,” Harry says slowly, grinning sheepishly as he takes his hands away, wincing as he blinks a couple of times. “I just didn’t know you liked boys, is all.”

  
  


It sounds like it isn’t all, but Liam’s nervous enough about coming out for real for the first time. So he doesn’t have time to think about what the tone of Harry’s voice means. 

  
  


“ I  _ do  _ like boys.” It comes out easier than he thought, and as soon as the words are out of his mouth, he starts to laugh with how good it felt to say it. 

  
  


Giggling hard enough to make himself wince and hide his face again, Harry mumbles, “Me too.”

  
  


It takes them awhile to calm down enough to talk properly. But almost as soon as Liam’s told Harry that “No, he’s not interested in Niall”, he sees that Harry’s skin looks a bit too pale. 

  
  


So instead of talking more about it, Liam ushers Harry to bed.

  
  


– – –

  
  


Louis is not like Niall or Zayn. He’s not easy, not in any way. Harry met him at a football practice, brought him home the same day, both of them sweaty and with grass covered stains on their matching football shirts. 

  
  


Harry’s an accident waiting to happen. He’s not used to his long limbs yet, tripping over his own feet as he walks even. What he did at a football practice, Liam still can’t understand. 

  
  


Where he got the team’s football shirt, is still a mystery. He wasn’t on the team then, and he isn’t now either, almost a year later.

  
  


Louis is good, though. A real promise according to what Liam’s heard.  _ Not  _ that he’s tried to find out through Louis’ Facebook or anything. He wouldn’t do that. 

  
  


He likes to tell himself that, but it’s a lie. Liam knows a lot of things about Louis. He knows that Louis is seventeen, close to turning eighteen, which would mean he’s one year older than him and two years older than Harry. Liam knows almost every photo on his Facebook wall by memory, embarrassingly enough. 

  
  


He doesn’t  _ like  _ Louis; he’s just as pretty as he’s scary. Though, as often as he wants to kiss Louis, he wants to punch him. Not too hard, but hard enough that Louis will stop being such a confusing dick, always teasing and pinching him. 

  
  


Liam had seen Louis around school before Harry dragged him home. But then again, Liam thinks that everybody must have, Louis is just so alive and bright, always laughing and joking.

  
  


Well, almost always laughing and joking. Louis is frowning a lot around Liam, his eyes narrowing as he huffs and storms off, always without Liam knowing what he’s done.

  
  


So it’s not like Louis likes him in any way. Not that it even matters, Louis might be dating a pretty girl already, one that’s everything Liam isn’t.

  
  


If Harry didn’t keep giving him sad glances, his bottom lip pushed out into a pout, Liam would’ve done what he always wants to do when Louis is there. Namely hide in his room and not come out until Louis is long gone. 

  
  


It’s a shame he can’t say  _ no  _ to Harry. A fact Harry knows all too well, so Liam’s even given up on trying. 

  
  


“ Hey,” Liam grumbles as Louis tugs at one of the wilder curls on Liam’s head as he  w alks past him on his way to the kitchen. It’s probably the fifth time he does it, and Liam’s got no clue what Louis is even doing in the kitchen.

  
  


He's only brought something back with him once.

  
  


It seems like Louis is touching him all the time. Sometimes small things like ruffling his hair, and sometimes twisting his nipples harshly, cackling loudly with laughter as Liam winces and rubs his chest. It doesn’t matter how much Liam protests. 

  
  


Maybe his protests only make it worse. 

  
  


It’s times like this that Liam wants to punch Louis. But the worst part is that it makes him want to kiss Louis too, just to see if he’s as sharp then as he is when he teases Liam.

  
  


Louis is just so confusing. He seems displeased with Liam half the time – or more, Liam’s sure – but he still won’t stop touching him. 

  
  


“ You’re just so  _ cute  _ with the curls,” Louis teases, tugging at the same curls once more as he comes back from the kitchen. Liam can’t see him, but he can almost hear the smirk on his face, hear how pleased Louis is with the blush that’s hot on Liam’s cheeks. 

  
  


“Why are you even here?” Liam asks, curling his hands together as he tries to stop himself from hiding behind his hands. 

  
  


“One would think that you don’t like my company,” Louis says as he sits down on the sofa next to Liam. Close enough that their thighs bump together when the old sofa dips from the weight. 

  
  


As if it wasn’t bad enough, Louis spreads out even more, one of his legs curling over Liam’s lap. Liam’s too baffled to say anything, just blinking at Louis as he hums softly to himself, seeming to be caught up in the old episode of Emmerdale almost at once.  

  
  


When it sinks in that Louis is all over him, Liam’s whole body goes stiff, his shoulders going up as he tries to force himself to sit still. He’s used to Harry touching him, but Louis is different. He’s not safe like Harry is. 

  
  


Louis is not someone he’s spent hours whispering secrets with in the dark. 

  
  


Still he doesn’t move. He’s got no clue about what happens on the telly, his heart thumping away fast in his chest as he tries to figure out one good reason for Louis to be there. 

  
  


Harry’s not there, so he should really not be there. He never figures it out, not even after Louis has left. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


The day he turns seventeen, he’s having a small party. He’s so happy that he has friends now – proper friends that like him for who he is, not because he’s Harry’s stepbrother – that he’s been smiling the whole day.

  
  


Louis is there, but Liam hasn’t seen much of him. He’s been hidden away with Harry almost the whole time, and Liam’s not sure who’s he’s most jealous of. 

  
  


Louis for taking up Harry’s time and for the way Harry’s smiling at him, flirtatious and easy. Or the way Harry’s holding his hand, swinging it back and forth as they talk in low voices. 

  
  


That he’s jealous of how Louis acts around Harry is not new, sadly. 

  
  


Liam’s pretty sure they’re not dating. Sure that he would have heard about it in case they were, Harry’s always been keen on telling Liam his secrets. But he’s not heard one word about anyone Harry’s interested in, not after he and that thing with a boy in Liam’s parallel class. 

  
  


Shrugging his shoulders to ease some of the tension, not even sure when he started to press his lips together so hard, he walks off to find Niall and Zayn. He knows that nothing good can come from being obsessed with what Louis and Harry are up to when he’s not there. 

  
  


It’s hours later when he sees Louis again. He’s surprised for a moment that Louis is even still there; it’s so late into the party that almost all the people that came already have gone home. 

  
  


Then he remembers that Harry is there. Of course, he is. He quickly decides it’s so not weird, at all. 

  
  


“I’ve something for you,” Louis says, tilting his head towards the hall. 

  
  


It takes too long for Liam to react, his mind stuck on the fact that Louis wants to give him a gift. When Louis arches his eyebrows, Liam flushes a deep pink and lets Louis lead him out of the room.

  
  


It’s all very weird, and he doesn’t understand why Louis wants him alone. Not when everything Louis does around him is to joke, often at his expense. That’s quite hard to do if nobody’s watching. 

  
  


He watches as Louis rifles around in his messy backpack, grinning to himself as he gets ahold of a wrapped gift. It’s even got a bow on it, and at that moment Liam’s sure that Louis has everyone waiting around the corner to see when he opens something proper embarrassing. 

  
  


Instead of standing up, Louis sits down properly on the floor, with his legs crossed. Liam sits down next to him when Louis gives him an unimpressed look, waving the gift around as he tries to point at the floor. 

  
  


“Thank you,” Liam mumbles as Louis pushes the gift into his hand. He’s not sure where to look. At the gift that he’s holding onto as if it was a bomb about to explode or Louis, who’s looking slightly nervous. 

  
  


“Open it up then.” Louis’ voice is sharp, but his face is softer than Liam’s used to. It only makes him seem even more confusing than usual.

  
  


Liam nods, fingers shaking a bit as he tries to get the gift string off what he’s managed to convince himself is a porn magazine. Or something else equally embarrassing.

  
  


It’s not anything like that; it's something that seems like a proper birthday gift. It’s a Batman edition that’s nicer than anything Liam owns. It must have cost more than Louis earns working at the local cinema. 

  
  


He’s stunned to silence as he takes in the comic is his hands, blinking slowly as he wonders when Louis is going to make a joke of it all. 

  
  


Louis watches him like a hawk. At first, he seems soft, but it only takes a few minutes of Liam just sitting there, frozen on the spot with confusion, before the small smile slips off his lips. 

  
  


“Not good enough for you?” Louis asks, crossing his arms over his chest. 

  
  


The irritated tilt to Louis’ voice – a tone Liam  _ should  _ be used to, but isn’t – makes him startle and almost drop the comic. “What?” He blurts out, unsure of what he’s done wrong this time. 

  
  


Not that he ever knows when it comes to Louis. 

  
  


“ I just mean that it is polite to say thank you,” Louis says loftily, shrugging like he couldn’t care less. “I thought you were a good boy,  _ little  _ Liam.”

  
  


Liam fights the urge to say that he’s not a little kid, that he’s actually seventeen now. That would be childish, so he just shakes his head and says, “No, no. I didn’t mean to –”

  
  


Louis sighs, shaking his head as he talks over Liam, “It doesn't matter.” 

  
  


“ No,” Liam stresses. “I just want to say thanks. This is really  _ nice _ , Louis.”

  
  


Louis nods, still looking like he wants to get up and leave. But when Liam opens the comic and gives him a tentative smile, Louis stays. 

  
  


Liam’s still confused about the gift, later when he’s alone in his room. Nothing about Louis makes sense to him. He can’t understand that Louis manages to be both nice – even kind of sweet – to him, and still at times seem like he hates him, the stiffness of his smile and shoulder so telling of what he really feels about Liam. 

  
  


He gives up on trying, after what feels like ages. Asking Harry might be the best shot he’s got at figuring it out, but he can’t quite make himself do it. 

  
  


It’s kind of terrifying to think about even knowing half of what actually is going on inside Louis’ head. So he figures it’s for the best that he doesn’t know. 

  
  


– – –

  
  


Harry’s always touching him, and it’s starting to be a problem. It’s not new, the way Harry rests his head on Liam’s shoulder or sits halfway into Liam’s lap as they’re watching the telly, like now. 

  
  


But Liam’s started to have all these feelings over how he looks and sounds. He knows it’s  _ wrong _ , but suddenly Harry’s just so hot he can't help it. 

  
  


Liam’s always been fond of him and maybe a little possessive, he realises. He’s not dumb, he knows that Harry’s always been cute. Liam’s seen the way girls at school giggle and blush as Harry walks by them. 

  
  


It’s nothing like now, though. Now Harry’s proper fit. 

  
  


“ Liam,” Harry grumbles as Liam tries to push him off of his lap, still trying to be gentle about it. “Be  _ still _ .”

  
  


Liam’s sure his neck must be feverish hot where Harry’s got his face smushed against it, but he stops moving around. He’s not stopped having a hard time saying no to Harry, just because he’s got a dumb crush on him. 

  
  


Liam tries to tell himself easier to deal with Harry on top of him or Harry’s fingers threading through his hair, if he ignores all those feelings. 

  
  


“Sorry,” he says, letting out a small sigh when Harry’s nails rake against his scalp. 

  
  


The most confusing part about what Harry makes him feel is that he still has all these thoughts about Louis. Mostly about how good he looks when he comes around straight after football practice, his arms more toned than ever, so much they’re making it hard for Liam not to stare.

  
  


He’s sure he does a horrible job at not doing so, because Louis always grins and flexes his muscles, making Liam’s skin feel hot all over. 

  
  


Sometimes he thinks that maybe he should do something about his attraction to Louis. Even if he’s sure that it would end with Louis laughing at him, telling him how stupid he is to have thought that he had a shot with him. 

  
  


Then maybe he could stop thinking about how it would feel to kiss Harry.

  
  


If it’d be as giggly and fun as it had been with Niall. Or if Harry would push it further. If he'd kiss Liam until he couldn’t help himself to do more. If it would end with them getting each other off in one of their beds. 

  
  


“Hello,” Harry laughs, poking Liam in the cheek with one of his stupidly long fingers. “Back to earth, please.”

  
  


For a short moment, Liam panics, imagining that Harry knows what he’s thinking about. Then he sees the big grin on Harry’s lips, a dimple popping out in his cheek, and he relaxes back into the sofa.

  
  


“What were you thinking about?” Harry asks, moving his hand from Liam’s hair so he can sling it around Liam’s shoulders instead. It all feels awfully like something a boyfriend would do, and Liam lets out a hiccuping noise that he hopes Harry doesn’t notice. 

  
  


“Just school stuff,” Liam says, glad that Harry’s pulling him in close, into some sort of half hug that means Liam’s face is pressed against Harry’s chest. 

  
  


It’s always been easier lying to Harry when Harry can’t see his face. 

  
  


“Yeah,” Harry mumbles, squeezing his hand around Liam’s arm, his thumb resting just where Liam’s skin starts to show. “I think about that a lot, too.”

  
  


Liam’s pretty sure that Harry knows he’s lying, but it sounds like Harry’s lying about something too. Though, it’s not like Liam can ask him about what, not without risking that Harry finds out about his secret. 

  
  


So he stays where he is, careful not to let Harry move even more into him. It would be horrifying if he got hard with Harry there on top of him, the thoughts that keep popping up in Liam’s head enough to make him squirm and feel warm all over.

  
  


Harry would think he’s disgusting and hate him. Just thinking about it makes him feel off, he’s not sure what to do with himself if Harry didn’t like him anymore. 

  
  


– –- –

  
  


Liam’s just home from a run, his skin slowly starting to cool down as looks for something to eat in the fridge. It’s just him in the house, Harry and his parents are at a meeting at school and he’s too hungry to wait until they’re home. He’s happy with anything that’s easy and will make him feel less like he’s not seen food in days. 

  
  


The doorbell going off is barely noticeable with the earbuds in his ears still blaring music at a loud volume. He can’t even be quite sure how long it’s been going on, if he’s missed that someone’s been at the door waiting out in the chilly November air. 

  
  


Liam’s not expecting Louis when he opens the door. So instead of letting him in, he just stands there, staring as Louis smirks at him with a raised eyebrow.

  
  


He shouldn’t be surprised, he realises. Louis is there a lot at times when he should know that Harry isn’t anywhere near the house. Liam still can’t wrap his head around it, but so much of what Louis does is odd to him, so he’s kind of given up even trying to understand. 

  
  


Harry keeps telling him that Louis is great, the best even, but Liam’s not sure they’re even talking about the same person most of the time. 

  
  


“Aren’t you going to let me in?” Louis asks, his voice full of snark. 

  
  


Liam opens the door up wider as he takes a step back. He’s careful to keep a safe distance, just to make sure that Louis doesn’t try to touch him like he so often tends to do. Liam’s still gross after his run and rather Louis’ hands don’t come anywhere near his skin. 

  
  


Louis being there, even with his arms crossed over his puffed out chest,  Liam stop thinking clearly .  He should close the door behind louis and go find something more than joggers to wear, but instead he just stands there.  He doesn’t even notice the way his skin pebbles from the cold air seeping in. 

  
  


“Harry’s not here,” Liam says slowly as if he’s talking to a child. He doesn’t mean to sound so sniffy, but he’s hungry and confused, so he’s got a harder time to keep his voice in check than most days. 

  
  


Louis scoffs as if he’s the one that’s been –  _ rudely  _ – interrupted by Liam, and not the other way around. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I know that? I’m not an idiot.”

  
  


Liam’s too tired to fight with Louis, so he just smiles blandly and shrugs. “I’m going to make a cheese toast.” 

  
  


It’s not an invitation, but Louis smiles and pushes past him on his way to the kitchen. He’s already looking into the fridge, picking things out of there like it was his own when Liam gets there. 

  
  


“I’m just going to go and get dressed?” Liam says, not meaning for it to come out sounding so much like a question. He’s followed Louis into the kitchen, watched him for longer time than necessary, but now he feels uncertain of what to do.

  
  


It’s a feeling he should be used to having around Louis, but it’s not. 

  
  


“ Nobody cares about your muscles, Payne,” Louis says, hands pausing on the cheese he just found. His cheeks go a suspicious tone of pink as he stares harder into the fridge, but then he closes the door with far more force than needed and turns to him. “I mean,  _ maybe  _ you should never have your shirt on, you’re a lot more interesting like this.” He wiggles his eyebrows in a way that reminds Liam an awful lot about Harry, but the tone of his voice is plain Louis, teasing and pointed. 

  
  


“I should never have a shirt on?” Liam asks, more to himself than to Louis since he’s never going to get a straight answer out of him anyway. 

  
  


Sometimes he’s not sure if Louis is flirting with him or insulting him, but just thinking about the first option makes him feel faint, so he tries to do that as little as possible. 

  
  


Louis snorts out a laugh, making Liam feel even more confused. Then he stops, just as sudden as he started. “Go put something on and I’ll make you a toastie.”

  
  


Liam’s too confused to argue. 

  
  


An hour later, Liam’s still not figured out what Louis is really doing there. It seems like they’re in some sort of quiet agreement not to talk about it, not since Liam tried asking that first time and Louis looked at him like he was an idiot for even asking. 

  
  


With only crumbs left of their toasties, Louis leans back against the headrest and smiles at Liam. The softness of itmakes Liam’s stomach feels warm and like it’s full of butterflies – the feeling is  _ nauseating  _ – and almost has him turning around to check if Louis is smiling at someone else.

  
  


When Louis’ hand reaches out towards him, Liam pulls away so fast the plate in his lap glides off. The disappointed look in Louis’ eyes and the frown on on lips as he makes a displeased noise in the back of his throat, makes him almost feel bad even when he doesn’t know what he did wrong this time. 

  
  


“ Why do you always do  _ that _ ?” Louis asks, leaning forward as if he’s thinking about trying once more to – do whatever it was he was about to do the first time. 

  
  


Pinch him or just ruffle his hair, Liam doesn’t know. He never knows with Louis and that’s part of the problem. 

  
  


“You’re all over the rest of the boys,” Louis presses, his voice rising at the end. When Liam stays silent, he glares at him, his lovely pink bottom lip twisted in an angry scowl. 

  
  


Silently Liam wonders why Louis is not storming out like he’s done so many times, but suddenly he’s as angry as he’s confused. “It’s not like you like me anyway,” he snarks, crossing his arms over his chest. 

  
  


It’s not until he’s done it that he realises he’s mimicking Louis’ stance. Instead of getting even more pissed with him – for whatever reason Louis now has – Louis starts laughing. 

  
  


“Um,” Liam mumbles, flicking his eyes towards the door. It’s too early for Harry to be home, but he still wishes he was there to tell Liam what it is that has Louis giggling so hard that his shoulders are shaking. 

  
  


It’s hard to stay mad when Louis is looking so adorable, wrapped up in a big purple sweater that Liam thinks is his. Or  _ was  _ his until Harry nicked it from him. Liam really must’ve been distracted to not even notice how the sweater is too big on Louis. 

  
  


That it obviously isn’t his.

  
  


“ You’re wearing  _ my  _ hoodie,” he blurts out, immediately wanting to stuff the words right back into his mouth. 

  
  


Louis shakes his head, wiping at the concerns of his eyes with the long sleeves of the shirt that Liam now knows is his. The holes meant to put your thumbs is, are worn and a bit shabby. Even more telling is that there’s a faint mark of the black heart Harry drawn there when Liam was sad one time. 

  
  


“ No, you  _ are _ ,” Liam insists, unable to stop himself. 

  
  


“ It’s not like it matters anyway,” Louis grumbles, his cheeks slightly pink still. “I think I’m going to give this up now. You can have  _ fun  _ with your Harry and your mates. You obviously hate me anyway.”

  
  


Liam’s distracted at first, the way Louis says  ‘ _ your Harry’ _ makes him blush with how obvious he must be to Louis when he thought he kept his secret so well. Then he realises that Louis is standing up, that he’s about to take the hoodie off. 

  
  


“No, no,” he says, voice too loud considering how close he gets to Louis as he stands up. Much too close, he quickly notices, but then it’s too late. Gripping the hoodie between his fingers, he shakes his head wildly. “You can keep it.” He pauses, tries to backtrack to whatever it was that made Louis finally leave. Something he thought he would be happy about, but isn’t. “And I don’t hate you.”

  
  


“But you don’t let me come near you,” Louis says slowly, rolling his eyes hard.

  
  


Liam opens his mouth, tries to form words. Nothing he can think of makes any sense to say out loud. Telling Louis that he scares him is not an option. 

  
  


Neither is telling how fit he finds Louis. 

  
  


“See,” Louis scoffs, still not pulling away from Liam’s grip. “You’ve got nothing to say, do you?” 

  
  


Ignoring Louis’ latest outburst, he settles for, “But you always pinch me and stuff.” 

  
  


It feels like a safe choice; it’s got nothing to do with how lovely Liam thinks Louis’ arms look, or how much Liam likes him, those times he doesn’t make Liam feel confused. Or like he wants to hit his pretty face, using a soft pillow to make sure to not leave any marks on him. 

  
  


“That doesn’t mean I don’t like you,” Louis says, looking as confused as Liam feels. 

  
  


“No?” Liam drops his head forward as he feels himself starting to grin, his nose scrunching up and cheeks puffing out. 

  
  


Louis makes a sound that’s something in between a loud groan and laugh. When Liam lifts his head, Louis has got a smile on his lips, so he’s pretty sure it’s not him Louis is laughing at. Giggling as Louis pokes a finger at his cheek, his skin feverish hot with how hard he’s blushing, Liam can’t help to grin even harder. 

  
  


“We’ve got it so bloody wrong, you and me,” Louis tells him as he drops back on the sofa again. The grip Liam’s still has on him, makes him stumble and almost follow him down. But he manages to stay on his feet. 

  
  


“Yeah,” Liam agrees, feeling like they might have. 

  
  


He’s not sure where things went wrong. If it started that first time when Liam’s heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest because of how Louis looked, feeling so nervous and stiff just being near him. If Louis has been trying with him, using maybe the only way he knew, but Liam never realised it. 

  
  


Liam drops one of the video game controllers in Louis’ lap before he sits down again, maybe a little bit closer to Louis than he was before. Careful not to look at Louis as he does it. 

  
  


Liam’s pleased that Louis is more into the game than Harry is, not bored and lying upside down on the sofa, telling Liam that they should do something else. Something  _ fun _ . 

  
  


They’re still playing when Harry gets back. 

  
  


Even without how nice it is to get along with Louis for once, the smile on Harry’s lips would be worth spending time with Louis. No matter how odd or seemingly horrible Louis had really been. The intensity of Harry’s smile almost makes Liam’s stomach hurt, but he does his best to not move away as Harry flops down next to him, curling up against his side like a cat.

  
  


“Hi,” Harry murmurs, playing idly with Liam’s hair. “You’ve realised that Louis isn’t a pest now?”

  
  


“ Hey,” Louis grumbles, pulling one of his feet from its spot underneath Liam’s thighs and poking Harry with it lazily. “I’m  _ not  _ a pest.”

  
  


Harry sounds so very pleased with himself as he says, “I didn't say it.” Poking his head out from where he’s more of less hiding behind Liam, he wiggles his eyebrows. “It was Liam.”

  
  


“ I’ve never said  _ that _ ,” Liam splutters, pouting when Harry starts giggling instead of telling Louis that he really hasn’t.

  
  


Luckily, Louis doesn’t look upset about it when he turns towards him. Instead he grins and pushes his feet up towards Liam’s face, making Liam try to push him away, not trying all that hard because of how happy looks. 

  
  


Then he tries a little harder as Louis wiggles his bare toes. 

  
  


“ This is what you get, so you should stop it with that  _ face _ ,” Louis complains, almost falling off the sofa as Liam manages to knock his foot away. “It’s horrible.”

  
  


“See, this is why I didn’t think you liked me,” Liam says, leaning closer to Harry when is seems like if Louis has settled down. Once more with even less distance to Liam, if Liam’s not mistaken. He’s pretty sure that Louis didn’t have his hand on him before. He would have noticed how warm and nice it felt on him, even through the material of his jeans. “You’re not nice.”

  
  


“ Your face is  _ not  _ nice,” Louis says, laughing when Liam pouts harder. 

  
  


“Hey,” Harry says slowly, lifting his head from Liam’s shoulder. He’s sleepy and soft, warm against Liam’s side, but he’s frowning. “Liam’s face is very nice.”

  
  


Louis snorts out a laugh that confuses Liam. What Harry said wasn’t that funny. So Louis shouldn’t have to giggle so hard that he must move his hand off Liam, hugging himself as he makes a weird face at Harry, making Harry frown harder. 

  
  


It’s a bit worrying how much Liam misses the touch of Louis’ hand on him. And how much he wants both Harry and Louis there at the same time, but he pushes that thought away.

  
  


Just having Louis there is confusing enough, he doesn’t have time or energy to think about his feelings, too. Or how they could mess everything up. 

  
  


“ Yeah,  _ yeah _ ,” Louis says, his voice still shaking. “Liam’s face is very nice.”

  
  


“It is,” Harry agrees, firmly. 

  
  


“Can we talk about something that’s not my face,” Liam mumbles, knowing that his cheeks must be pink from how much he likes them to say stuff like that. Even if it’s just a joke. 

  
  


Louis nods, looking like he wants to say something more; he’s got this smirk on his face, but instead of saying anything, he starts up the game again.

  
  


It’s almost too nice, Harry mumbling sleepy comments into his t-shirt, and Louis edging a little bit closer every time he’s scored a goal on the telly. 

  
  


Liam decides he’s not going to complain, or move at all. Not when Harry’s so warm and heavy against him and Louis is smiling at him for real, not smirking or rolling his eyes like usually.

  
  


Well, not as much. 

  
  


– – – 

  
  


The first time Liam invites Louis over, he’s nervous. It’s not like he thinks that Louis is going to say  _ no _ , but it feels like it means something. Like Louis then would know that he’s got a crush on him. 

  
  


A proper crush that’s only getting worse every time Liam sees him.

  
  


That’s the reason he’s still trying to tame his curls into something that doesn’t look like a bird’s nest. It’s no use, really. At almost eighteen, his curls can rival Harry’s messy hair, which Harry’s very happy about, his fingers often finding their way into Liam’s hair whenever he’s close enough. 

  
  


When he lets Louis inside the house, he’s not expecting Louis to grab his nipple and twist, the first thing he does.

  
  


“Ouch,” Liam mumbles, rubbing his hand over his chest. “Not nice.”

  
  


“You can shut it with not being nice,” Louis says, wiggling his fingers in front of Liam. He looks like he’s thinking about going for Liam’s other nipple, the one that’s not hidden under Liam’s hand. 

  
  


Louis looks very pleased with himself when Liam reaches out to take his hand, holding it in a steady grip to make sure that he’s not assaulted again. When he sees how their fingers are curled together, he realises that they’re basically holding hands. 

  
  


That moment, he’s glad he’s got his fringe to hide behind as he drops his head forward. If Louis doesn’t let go, he’s not going to either – how could he when he’s got the prettiest boy he knows, smiling sweetly at him –  but it all makes his pulse speed up, his skin so hot he just knows that he’s blushing.

  
  


_ Again _ .

  
  


Louis still holds his hand as he drags him down the hall to Liam’s room. When they’re there, Louis stops and looks around himself as he takes it all in. He’s never been in there before, Liam’s kept that part of his life to himself, not wanting to have Louis tease him over his choices. About what he likes. 

  
  


Now he’s used to Louis’ teasing, knows that he’s not doing it to be mean. Liam’s slowly starting to learn that it might be okay for him to be a bit naughty, too.

  
  


His room is spotless, the Batman sheets neatly tucked in. He waits for Louis to say something about them, or the model of Andy from Toy Story on the shelf above the bed. 

  
  


“You could have picked Iron Man,” Louis says, squeezing his hand. “He’s way cooler.”

  
  


“No, he’s not,” Liam argues, for a second forgetting to be nervous about Louis being there. In his bedroom, so very near his bed. 

  
  


Louis leads him that last bit to the bed, moving slowly as if he wants to give Liam an out. Not that Liam wants it, he’s willing to take whatever Louis is offering him. He’s still in daze as he sits down next to Louis.

  
  


Not that he’s able to figure out quite what it is. 

  
  


At least not before Louis kisses him, carefully as he leans closer to Liam, almost pushing into his lap. Surprised, even when he feels like he maybe shouldn’t be – Louis has been flirting with him, but Liam’s been so very sure of it being him joking –he pulls away, blinking rapidly as he stares as Louis.

  
  


“No?” Louis wonders, trying to pull his hand from Liam’s grip, tighter than before because of the shock. 

  
  


When Liam realises that maybe he could have Louis after all, he grins, feeling a bit like he wants to laugh and cry at the same time. Instead of letting Louis go, his gut telling him that Louis might run if he gets a chance, he pushes forward to kiss Louis.

  
  


Things get intense really fast, Louis’ fingers slipping a little bit higher up on his sides, then down again, teasing his skin in a way that sends shivers up Liam’s spine. Maybe they should stop, slow down so Liam can think about anything except Louis’ mouth, so hot and wet against his. 

  
  


“I’ve been waiting for this,” Louis murmurs, rubbing his thumb against Liam’s swollen bottom lip. “It’s been fun making you blush, though.”

  
  


“You’re so mean,” Liam says, sounding more pleased about it than anything. 

  
  


“ You’ve been mean,” Louis tells him, smacking a soft kiss against Liam’s lips. “Walking around with your shirt off all the time, like a  _ horrible  _ tease.”

  
  


Liam’s sure he’s blushing all the way down his chest, down to where Louis’ hands are resting low on his stomach. “I’ve not done that.”

  
  


Louis looks like he’s about to continue arguing about it, but Liam would much rather kiss him again, see if he can make Louis stop talking about him being a tease. It’s really Louis who’s a tease, with his lovely thighs and arms, and the way he’s always been able to make Liam feel flustered. 

  
  


It’s hard to think at all with Louis pushing him back on the bed, giggling as they get tangled up in each other at first. Then it just works, Louis’ weight on top of him so nice he forgets to kiss back for a moment. Only letting Louis lick into his mouth as he lies there, begging his body to calm down, so he doesn’t make a mess of his underwear. 

  
  


It’s not until there’s a loud noise from the door, a crash as if someone’s dropping something, that Liam remembers that they didn’t close the door. 

  
  


“Um,” he mumbles as he looks at Harry, with Louis still on top of him. Suddenly he’s grateful that they are dressed, if a bit messed up. 

  
  


“Why do you keep snogging all of my mates and not me?” Harry asks, the words coming out much faster than Liam’s used to from him. Then he stops talking, blushing as he stares at the floor. 

  
  


“ What?” Liam wonders, not sure he’s heard right. If Harry really did say what he thinks he did. If it means what Liam  _ wants  _ it to. 

  
  


“ I didn’t  _ mean  _ to say that,” Harry pleads, his eyes wide as he looks up. 

  
  


“That doesn’t mean it’s not true, though,” Louis says, smirking at Harry as he rocks his hips down, making Liam bite back a whine. “Not that I blame you, Liam’s very lovely.”

  
  


“Oh god,” Liam mumbles, pretty sure he should push Louis away. Or at least ask Harry to leave. He doesn’t want to do either of those things. 

  
  


Harry doesn’t leave, only stands there, stock still as if he’s stuck to the floor. He’s so flushed, his cheeks bright pink as his eyes flick between the floor and the bed. 

  
  


Liam wants him there, only closer. He’s not able to say so, though.

  
  


“Fuck’s sake,” Louis mutters as he rolls his eyes and lifts himself up, ignoring Liam’s hands grabbing at him harder. 

  
  


“You want this, Liam?" Harry asks, taking one step closer, then coming to a sudden stop as if he just realises he moved. 

  
  


Liam nods, smiling shyly as he fights himself to not cover up how hard he is. He’s so much more exposed with Louis not covering him, but he wants Harry to know that he’s okay with it all.

  
  


He’s never thought he could have Harry, that Harry even would want him too. But now that he thinks that Harry might, he’s willing to take the chance, see if it’ll work out. 

  
  


Liam's sure he's going to say or something embarrassing if he opens his mouth. So he just nods, smiling shyly at Harry. Something he's never done before, not having allowed himself to let those feelings out.

  
  


“If you don’t come here, I’m going to bloody smack you,” Louis says, smiling too much for anyone to take him seriously. 

  
  


“Louis,” Liam scolds gently, nudging him with his elbow. “Don’t scare him away.”

  
  


Louis doesn’t seem bothered, nudging Liam back, arching one of his eyebrows at Harry. “ Either come here or get out or you get out and let me take care of Liam.”

  
  


“Maybe close the door,” Liam suggests, not wanting anyone else walking in on them. Even less than before if Harry’s with them, too. 

  
  


“It’s not a one-time thing?” Harry asks, nudging the door closed with his elbow, like he doesn’t want to turn away from the bed for one second. 

  
  


“No.” Liam glanced over at Louis to make sure that he doesn’t think otherwise. When Louis nods and grins brightly, he adds, “Not a one-time thing.”

  
  


“You can’t believe how long I’ve wanted to kiss you,” Harry says, his movement almost smooth as he sits down on the bed next to Liam. He doesn’t touch him at first, his hand resting close enough to Liam’s thigh that his pinky finger would graze it if he only spread them out.

  
  


Louis snorts, all of him shaking against Liam as he presses close to his side, burrowing his face against Liam’s neck.

  
  


“Louis,” Harry complains, looking like he wants to laugh too. “It’s not like you’ve not been pining after him, too. You shouldn’t laugh at me.”

  
  


Liam’s not interested in waiting any longer. Not only is he still hard in his pants, not even the shock of Harry walking in on them making him less interested in getting off, but he’s also been wanting to kiss Harry for a long time. 

  
  


“We’ve all been pining for each other, I think,” he says, taking Harry’s hand and rubbing his thumb over the back it. “It’s time to do something about it.”

  
  


Louis is still giggling against his neck when Harry bends down to kiss him. He stops almost at once, the bed moving under them as Louis lifts himself up so he can see properly as Harry licks into Liam’s mouth, kissing him slowly as if he’s trying to taste Louis on his tongue.

  
  


Knowing that Louis is watching makes Liam grin against Harry’s lips. When he feels Louis’ hand slip a little lower on his stomach his hips jerk and he’s back to feeling desperate and hot so fast he’s almost dizzy with it. 

  
  


“Time to pick up where we left off,” Louis murmurs, letting his hand slide down, so he’s cupping Liam’s cock through his jeans. 

  
  


Liam licks his lips as Harry pulls away, staring openly at where Louis’ small hand rubs against him, making it hard for him to stay still. Not that he has to, he quickly realises, starting to rub himself off against Louis’ hand, it coming to a stop as Harry bends over Liam and whispers something in Louis’ ear.

  
  


Liam’s about to ask what they’re talking about, but then Harry kisses Louis and he’s unable to do anything except stare and push harder against Louis’ hand. 

  
  


In the end, he does make a mess of his underwear, shivering his way through his orgasm with Louis’ hand squeezing around the head of his cock. He couldn’t care less when he’s got Harry and Louis taking turns kissing him, giving him a bit of a show as they snog each other, their tongues so pretty and pink as they kiss over and over. 

  
  


He’s still trembling from the aftershocks, when Harry climbs on top of him, bigger and stronger than Louis as he presses him down into the bed. 

  
  


“I’m just going to,” he mumbles, grinding down so Liam can feel the hot length of his cock against him. “Tell me if you’re not okay with it. Won’t take much, I promise.”

  
  


“I bet it won’t,” Louis teases, sounding so rough that Liam has to look at him. He promptly forgets to answer Harry when he sees that Louis is touching himself, that his cock is right there, sliding wetly into the grip of his hand. 

  
  


When Harry taps a finger against his cheek, Liam nods twice, just to be sure that Harry knows it’s fine.  _ More  _ than fine even. Liam’s grateful to have him there between his legs, even when the movements of Harry rutting against him, makes him shiver. Not only because it feels good, his whole body on overdrive, but because he’s starting to get sensitive, having just come. 

  
  


It still feels good, so he only holds on harder to Harry when he tries to pull away as Liam lets out a small whine. 

  
  


“No, no,” Liam mumbles, shaking his head. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  
  


“Listen to Liam,” Louis agrees, his voice breaking as Liam reaches out to trace his fingers over the head of Louis’ cock. Just to see how it feels against his fingers. 

  
  


It doesn’t take long before Harry comes, groaning loudly against Liam’s lips as his whole body presses forward. It doesn’t take much longer for Louis, the noise he makes maybe even louder, even more shameless. 

  
  


Somewhere is the back of his mind, Liam realises it’s a good thing they’re home alone. That things could have gone from good to bad really quickly otherwise. 

  
  


Afterwards, Liam tries to will himself to get out of bed, but he’s got one of Harry’s legs over his own, and Louis’ head on his shoulder, so he chooses to ignore the feeling of his boxers sticking to his skin. 

  
  


The bed is too small for them, Harry’s body almost halfway over the edge, but they manage to curl up close together and fall asleep anyway.

  
  


– – –

  
  


It’s not a one-time thing and a little bit more than two weeks later they feel the need to tell Niall and Zayn They’ve almost slipped up several times already, Liam leaning forward to kiss Louis hello as he walks into a room or almost sitting down in Harry’s lap instead of on the sofa.

  
  


He doesn’t think anyone has noticed. Not yet.

  
  


Zayn and Niall should be fine with it, even if it’s a bit unusual. Not only is he dating his stepbrother – something he knows he can’t be totally open with, not until they’ve all moved away and nobody knows them. 

  
  


Still, he’s nervous, his stomach twisting with worry as he sits on the sofa between Harry and Louis. Both of them pretend that they’re fine, joking about stuff that Liam can’t even begin to concentrate on. He can feel how hard they’re holding onto him though, their hands sweaty as he clings back, so he knows they’re trying to keep him calm by pretending everything’s fine. 

  
  


When there’s a knock on the door, Liam reluctantly lets go of them and goes to open it. If he hugs Zayn and Niall a little bit harder than other days, it’s just in case they’ll get angry – disgusted, even – and he’s not allowed to do it anymore.

  
  


“What’s the news you’ve got to tell us,” Niall says, sitting down on the armrest of the armchair in front of the sofa. 

  
  


“Well,” Liam says slowly. Then he stops, his heart thumping so hard in his chest that it feels like he might be ill. He’s thought everything through, from start to finish, but now it seems impossible to get out.

  
  


“I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about,” Zayn says, looking between all three of them. He’s got this weird glint in his eyes, it almost looks like he’s about to start laughing even when his voice is soothing. 

  
  


“ Maybe it  _ is _ ,” Liam stresses, one of his legs bouncing up and down, not stopping until Harry places a gentle hand on top of it, just resting it there. “Maybe it is something to be worried about.”

  
  


“I’m just going to say it,” Louis says, mostly talking over Liam. “We’re fucking, that’s what we’re trying to say.”

  
  


“Louis,” Louis groans, feeling his cheeks flush hotly. 

  
  


“It’s true, though,” Harry says, sounding like he’s about to start laughing any minute. 

  
  


“ That’s not news, you fuckers. We’ve known about that for  _ months _ ,” Niall says, making Liam stare at him in shock.

  
  


“ We’ve  _ not  _ been dating for months,” he says, rushed. The word  ‘ _ dating’  _ comes out louder than the rest,him needing them all to know that it’s not  _ just  _ fucking, like Louis said. 

  
  


“ Or fucking,” Harry fills in, tapping his fingers against Liam’s thigh. He smiles dirtily at him when Liam looks over, looking like he wants to say that they  _ could  _ have been. 

  
  


Zayn looks confused, his forehead wrinkling as he tilts his head to the side. “But we were so sure,” he mumbles, nodding towards Niall, who still has got his mouth open in surprise. “We’ve just been waiting for you to say something.”

 

“This is all so dumb,” Liam says, starting to smile when he realises that he’s got nothing to be worried about. At least not now, he still has his mum to think about, what to say to her. 

  
  


But that’s an issue for later when everything is not so new. Or, if they keep being stupidly in love with each other, not until his mum walks in on them. 

  
  


He’s got a feeling everything will work out, though. 

 


End file.
